FOR ALL HIS LIFE... (I.P.)

For all his life he'd tried his best
To make the grade, to pass each test;
To raise the bar, to win the game
To leave his mark, to etch his name;
To scale the heights, to reach the top
To never let his standards drop;
To never rest, to never shirk
Success is measured through hard work.

His parents' creed was ever tough
"Ninety-nine" just not enough,
Too quick to see what wasn't right
No praise they gave though try he might.
This creed he took unto himself
It robbed his pride, so too his health,
It mattered not if he prevailed
In his mind he e'er heard "FAILED!"

He pushed himself right to the edge
He stood upon a desolate ledge,
Convinced he had no place to go
Except into the void below.
Yet in this he failed too
One more thing he couldn't do,
In failing thus, to not give in
This failure was...his greatest win.

COPYRIGHT DM PAMMENT 8th JULY 2010